Means for and method of humidifying air



Aug. 14, 1934. Q U 1,970,234

MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF HUMIDIFYING AIR Filed May 29, 1930 5 25 o o tPatented Aug. 14, I934 MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF HUMIDIF'YING AIR Lyman C.Hufi, Winnetka, Ill.

Application May 29, 1930, Serial No. 457,070

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a means and method ofhumidifying the air within a room and refers specifically to a means andmethod of circulating air in contact with the passage of a thin film ofliquid over a surface to secure the evaporation of a substantial por-.tion of said liquid, which evaporated liquid is carried away inentrainment by the circulating air.

The utility, objects and advantages of the invention will beapparentfrom the accompanying drawing and following detailed description.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig.2.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating thehumidifying apparatus utilized in my invention. i

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating a slight modification ofthe controlling-means utilized in connection with my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 indicates a housing which may, ifdesired, be rectangular in cross-section or may take any suitable form.The housing 1 may be provided with end walls 2 26 and side walls 3. Thewalls 3 may be perforated 'or apertured at their lower portions as shownat 4, said apertures taking ornamental forms or shapes if desired. Theupper portions of the walls 3 may also be apertured as shown at 5. The$0 purpose of apertures 4 and 5 will be hereinafter more fullydescribed. The housing 1 may be provided with a removable closure 6which, if desired, may also be provided with openings 7. An element 8may be disposed within housing 1 and may be of hollow construction. Theside walls 9 of element 8 may be corrugated or extended to provide amaximum outer surface. The element 8 may be provided with a base 10 ofsuitable construction and in vertical section said element may taperupwardly more or less in the form of a cone. Said element may beprovided with an inlet pipe 11 for hot liquid, the flow of said liquidbeing controlled by a valve 12, the element 8 being connected, ifdesired, in series with a conventional hot water system, the

return from said element being shown at 13.

A tank 14 may be mounted upon the upper portion of element 8 and may beconnected there to in any suitable manner, for instance by a supportingbracket 15. A water pipe 16 controlled by valve 17 may connect into tank14 and may be provided within said tank with a float-actuated valve 18.The tank 14 is adapted to contain a constant quantity of liquid, thelevel of said liquid being controlled by a float 19, which in turn isconnected to valve 18 by lever arm 20. If desired, a quantity of liquidmay be withdrawn from the interior of element 8 through pipe 21 whichconnects thereinto. The opposite end of pipe 21 may be connected to pipe16, and by the suitable manipulation of valve '22 interposed in pipe 21and valve 17 in pipe 16, the temperature of the liquid introduced totank 14. may be readily controlled. If cold water is found desirable intank 14, valve 22 may be closed and valve 17 opened, and if hot water isdesired in tank 14 the position of the valves may be reversed, or the-water introduced to tank 14 may comprise a suitable controlled mixtureof hot and cold water taken respectively through pipes 21 and 16'. 7

Tank 14 may be provided with outlet pipes 23 which may-connect intovalves 24, which valves are adapted to control the flow of liquidthrough pipes 25 which may be disposed immediately above the uppersurface of element 8. In this manner a controllable stream of water orother liquid may be passed to the upper surface of element 8 and mayflow in the form of a film downwardly along each corrugated side 9 ofsaid element. 0

The base 10 of element 8 may be disposed within a pan 26 which may beadapted-to collect that portion of the liquid which passes over thesurface 9 of element 8 and which has not evaporated. The accumulation ofliquid in the pan 26 may be withdrawn through outlet pipe 27.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, a slight modification of the method ofhumidity control is shown and may comprise a housing 1 provided with aremovable closure 6' adapted to enclose an element 8 similar inconstruction to element 8. Element 8 maybe provided with inlet pipe 11controlled by a valve 12 and also with an outlet 13. Element 8 may bedisposed within pan 26', similar in construction to pan 26. I

A pipe, 28 may be positioned within housing 1' and may be provided withoutlets 29 and 30, between which may be interposed valve 31. Pipe 28 maybe connected exteriorly of housing 1 to branch pipe 32, which in turnmay be provided with a valve 33. Valve 33 may comprise a suitablehousing 34, the upper portion of which may be provided with an outwardlyextending lug 35. A bar 36 may be pivotally mounted at one end to theend of lug 35 and may carry intermediate its 1 length a plunger 37, thevertical motion of which is adapted to control the flow of liquidthrough pipe32. The opposite end of bar 36 may be connected to the cord38 which may be anchored in any suitable manner, for instance as shownat weight 40.

39. The cord 38 may be constructed of a material which is sensitive tochanges in humidity, such as raw hide, catgut, or the like. It canreadily be seen that by this construction, changes in 5 humidity in theroom in which valve 33 is disposed will change the efiective length ofcord 38, and hence move plunger 37 upwardly or downwardly, as the casemay be. If raw hide or catgut is used, as the humidity of the room inlcreases, the cord 38 will be elongated and hence will permit bar 36 todescend, thereby depressing plunger 37, decreasing the quantity of waterpermitted to pass through pipe 32- and hence decreasing the quantity ofwater which may be per-.

mitted to pass over element 8". When the humidity of the room decreases,the effective length of cord 38 will be shortened and plunger 37 will bedrawn upwardly, thereby permitting a greater quantity of liquid to passthrough pipe 32 and hence pass over element 8'. .To control theoperation of valve 33,v the bar 36 may be provided with alongitudinallyslidable counter- In carrying out my invention a suitable quantity ofliquid may be introduced to tank 14, said quantity being controlled bythe position of float l9 operatively connected to valve 18. Valves 24may be manipulated to permit the discharge of a desirable quantity ofliquid from tank 14 to the upper surface of element 8. As theliquidpasses from discharge pipes 25 and passes downwardly over thesurfaces 9 of element 8, it takes the form of a thin film, which whenpassing downwardly over said surfaces contacts an ascending stream '35of air which may be introduced into ho ing 1 4 through the openings 4,the air being caused to ascend due to the same coming into contact withthe hot surfaces of element 8., In so doing a portion 'of the liquidfilm passing downwardly 40 over the surfaces 9 may, be evaporated andthe evaporated liquid will be carried upwardly in entrainment with theascending air and will be dis-' charged through the openings 5 intheupper por tion of walls 3 and through openings '7 in 010- sure6. I li It will be readily seen that my invention provides a very efiectivemeans and method of evaporating water. The thin film of water descendingover the corrugated sides of the els a .50 ment 8 is continually brokenup, exposing fresh parts to the rising columns of-air as itfiows oversaid surfaces. In this manner, evaporation of the water readily takesplaceleven when the surface of element 8 is not hot. It thereforehumidiresisting oxidation,-or if desired,. can be con-' 69 structedentirely of cast iron, chrome fiickel steel,

or other suitable material.

It is to beunderstood, ofcourse, thatI do not wish to be limited to theparticular type of heating system with which my invention may beutilized, since it can be used as effectively with steam, vapor, or hotair heat, it can with a hot water heating system.

I am aware that many modifications, both in 70 details of constructionand in method of opera- Prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. A method of humidifying air, which comprises passing a quantity ofair countercurrent to the fiow of an unconfined continuous thin film ofliquidthereby evaporating a substantial portion of said liquid andcarrying said evaporated liquid in entrainment in said air.

2. A method of humidifying the air of a room, which comprises passing aquantity of,li'quid over a relatively hot surface of extended area, inthe form of a continuous thin film without substantial body, controllingthe quantity of liquid so passed by the humidity of said room, passing aquantity of air countercurrent to said liquid film and evaporating asubstantial portion of said liquid, said evaporated liquid being carriedin entrainment in said air, and passing said humidified air into saidroom.

3. A method of humidifying the air of a room, which comprises passing aquantity of liquid over a surface of extended'area, in the form of acontinuous unconfined thin film, maintaining said in a continuous stateduring portions of its travel by cohesion, controlling the quantity ofliquid so passed by the humidity of said room, 0 passing a quantity ofair countercurrent to said liquid film and evaporating a substantialportion of said liquid, said evaporated liquid being carried inentrainment in said air, and passing said humidified air into said room.

4. A method of humidiiying air, which comprises, passing a quantityofair countercurrent to the flow of a thin, surface contactingcontinuousfilm of liquid, restricting the passage of the air adjacentthe thin film of liquid thereby evaporating asubstantial portion of saidliquid and carrying said evaporated liquid in entrainment in said air. q

5. A humidifier comprising in combination, an element having extendedsurfaces, means for pass- 115. ing anunconfined continuous thin film ofliquid over said element, means for passing a quantity of-aircountercurrent to the flow of said film and means forregulating the-fiow pf liquid. 7

- 6. A humidifier comprising in combination, an

element having corrugated surfaces, means for passing a, continuous thinfilm of liquid of extended area in contact with said element, means forpassing a quantity of'air copntercurrent to said film and contiguouswith said film and means .1

for regulating the flow of liquid.

7. A humidifier comprising in combination, an

element having curvilinear downwardly extending surfaces, means forpassing a controlled quantity of liquid in the form of a continuous filmin contact with said surfaces, means for passing a quantity of aircountercurrent to said passage of 1 liquid, means at the lower end ofsaid element for collecting a portion of the liquid which has passedover said surfaces, and means for removing said collected liquid. r

8. A method of humidifying air which comprises, passing a controlledquantity of liquid downwardly over a surface, maintaining the liquid 1in the form of a continuous film in contact with said surface bycohesion during its passage, passing a quantity of air countercurrent tosaid liquid and evaporating a substantial portion of said liquid, saidevaporated liquid being carried in entrainment in said air.

9. A method of -humidifyingeair, which comprises passing a controlledquantity of liquidover' a surface of extended mam the'form of a'continuous thin unconfined film, passing a quantity of aircountercurrent to said liquid film and evaporating a substantial portionthereof, said evaporated liquid being carried in entrainment in saidair.

10. A method of humiditying air, which comprises passing a controlledquantity of liquid over a relatively hot surface, in the form of a con-LYMAN C. HUFF.

